Tesco announced that it will close two superstores in Belfast and a smaller store in Ballymena, Co Antrim, as part of a restructuring that will see 43 unprofitable stores close across the UK. The company confirmed this month that stores in the Republic would be spared after it announced plans to sell assets and cut costs to fund lower store prices. In the North, Tesco superstores on Cregagh Road and in Connswater, both in East Belfast, are to close, as is a smaller Express store in Ballymena.

A total of 167 jobs will be lost from the operations in the North. The Ballymena store, which is to close on March 15th, employs 16. The Connswater and Cregagh Road stores, due to close on April 4th, employ 92 and 59 respectively.

Tesco confirmed this month that plans to develop superstores in Armagh and Carryduff, Co Down, would also no longer go ahead.